Terrific first effort. Please ignore all the Stern Army trolls on Pinside who respond to innovation with "Nobody asked for..." It never ceases to amaze me how these people root for every new pinball company to go out of business so Stern can ram their price increases even harder up their rears. These are the same people responsible for 'cheapening' pinball and taking away or discouraging many innovations that I felt were very beneficial. These speed junkies are responsible for eliminating wide bodies ("slows the game down") so now we get less pinball for the same money, eliminating video modes (even though a simple menu change could eliminate them). Eliminating toys and gadgets ("Slows the game down by making the ball stop"). Torching the great idea of putting a video screen right by the flippers so you can actually see what's going on while playing. ("Too distracting, takes away from the art, besides I'm already used to looking at the back box"), etc... My best advice would be to try and go the 'Spooky' route. Start with small runs and give great customer service, thereby building solid customer loyalty. ...and please... keep innovating... (shaking my head)... these same idiots, had they been around in 1947, would have told Harry Mabs at Gottlieb... "nobody asked for your stupid flipper thingies..."
Beautiful machine, not priced where I was hoping though, out of my price range, hope to see it somewhere near me in a commercial environment to experience it, good luck!
I think the shots look great. I like the music, and the screen is cool. The only criticism I have is the callouts could be a little more energetic. Other than that, the game looks great.
One thing u missed is the side ramp desperately needs a rework. The stock flat metal plate doesnt work and kills the shot and the fun. You need a smoothly sculpted plastic entrance for that shot with the sharp curve and angle. Also the 2nd flipper button is way to low and hard to reach. It may be a gimmick but why alienate people that just hate that but like the machine. Change where its at AND by all means add an option in diagnostics to have all flippers controlled by one button. For 9 grand the customers need to be happy and have fun. That is fair and solid feedback. 😊
Hi Mike, thanks for the comment. We are aware that the sword ramp could be smoother. We were actually testing a new version of the ramp moments ago and the shot is much more repeatable. I'm sorry there wasn't enough time to get the new version on the playfield prior to the show. Regarding the flipper buttons, I'm not sure if you noticed, but the two machines we had at the show were configured differently. One had a two-stage single button and the other had two independent buttons. We were testing to see what folks preferred and the single button was the clear winner. At a minimum, we would make it a menu option if we use the two buttons. We are also working on improving button placement. Thanks again for your feedback. It was great to hear from you and others at the show so we can make this machine great.
This looks so much better then TPF. Even the original theme is not bad, I just don't understand why a game with no IP cost $9,777. When I first saw the pictures at expo I was hopeful this was a home unit for about 5 grand. Good luck going forward
Hi and thanks for your comment. The model we brought to TPF was an early flippable prototype and this is our pre-production model. My team and I have put in a lot of hard work to get here. I think there are some misconceptions that folks have with the cabinet size due to other companies offering cheap low featured budget models with small cabinets. For our machine, the quality of the components (speaker system, lcd, playfield components, toys, etc) can only be found at a premium level and up. Our speakers are superior to that of the Stern Limited models. We have 5 detailed hand-painted playfield sculpts, the like of which can only be found on Stern Premium and above. Our playfield is absolutely loaded with mechs and cool shots. As I’m sure you know, Stern Premium models are around $9,700. Essentially, we have a full featured premium game in a slimmer cabinet. Our price reflects the features and also our cost to build. For those that aren’t ready for the slimline cabinet, we also offer the standard cabinet with a coin door. I think there is also a misconception that unlicensed IP is less expensive than a licensed theme. All of our art and story was created from scratch. We don’t have any video clips to pull from or any existing characters to use. The art, video, and sound budgets for this machine were quite high because we wanted it to be great. You also have to consider that, as a small company, we won’t be dividing those costs over thousands of units. I hope that helps you and others understand why the machine is priced the way it is. We believe the value is there and I hope that as we post more gameplay footage that you will agree too. Thanks again!
I like what you have there and would have liked more actual gameplay footage. But I do have a major concern with the missing of the service buttons. It's great you may setup the machine via app but this is a collector's market with many machines with manufacturers long gone. So the machine needs to be able to run self-sufficient. I think I like the rest of the changes you made (especially for transport) but if you can build the machine cheaper with standard parts, I'd always take the standard, since you just don't need to open your game that often. In addition it then will fit in anyones lineup and it's easier to get replacements for legs & stuff. Regarding your payment app: On location It'd be nice to be able to select the credits I want to buy and just hold my card or watch to the machine, but I'd install no additional app for that. While that is just me, plz keep in mind that even if you would have a market share like Stern, whereever a machine will be on location there usually are other machines - like arcade machines, redemption games, air hockey etc.. I don't think a locked pinball payment app will work under these conditions (but of course I did not gather any data regarding that). Second thing is that location play is no longer the majority of pinball sales, with a startup "boutique" pinball company propably selling even more into homes. So in short, I really like what I see so far and applaud you for what you have acomplished in that last 6 months. But I'd still suggest to give (not the game, but the system you build around) the machine another whirl. Looking forward to gameplay footage, the other cab design and hope to get to play the game at some point in the future here in europe.
Hi DSNadine, thanks so much for the encouraging words and for sharing your suggestions. We will be releasing more videos detailing the gameplay, features of the machines, and also the PinAccess app, in the coming weeks. Our focus was on getting the machines to Expo, and now I can spend more time on the informational things. Regarding the maintenance of the machine, the PinAccess app is not required. The machine is fully configurable without the app by using the buttons on the cabinet. Our software for this is still in development so I wasn’t able to demo it at Expo, but we will have videos up soon. Configuration via the PinAccess app allows you to use a touchscreen, which I think most folks will prefer once they try it. I do fully understand that there needs to be a standard fallback option though. I did learn a lot of things at Expo regarding the desire for a standard cabinet and coin door. We have heard those requests and I have already worked with my engineering team to come up with a solution that will allow us to deliver what is being requested. Please stay tuned for videos of that as well. I appreciate your comments on the payment features of the PinAccess app. One unique thing that I mentioned in my talk at Expo is that we have a device that can be used to retrofit any existing arcade machine with a coin door that will make it compatible with PinAccess. PinAccess was also developed as an open platform that other manufacturers can integrate with. I am working on proving the system through some pilot arcades and will have more videos and demos on this coming soon as well. I have a lot of work to do in sharing more information so that folks can see the full system and how everything works. As I work on that, I am grateful to you and others who have shared their feedback and some encouragement. Please stay tuned and I think you will like what you see. And if you have any other concerns, feedback, or suggestions, please reach out anytime. Thanks!
@@TurnerPinball Thx for your answer. Yes, of course touch control is a great plus, it's more comfortable and you don't need to buy any more external volume knobs/ accessories. Generally just make sure in communication that you're only adding value, and don't take other things away in return. - So as long as there is a fallback option in some way me personally am relieved and absolutely fine. (All the rest ist subject to taste, perception and of course budget.) If you honestly want a suggestion (I worked a business development consultant in automotive, not that it means anything) it'd be this: With the feedback on the machine you got, ask yourself what led up to things you have to adress now and how you can make sure to identify them beforehand next time. (While it is the intention to add value and give customers something they may not know yet they want, still get some pinhead amongst yourselfes or do some focus group testing, and you'd get to know about the percieved value problem of a "sizzle" cabinet in advance. - While only people longer in the hobby may have that connection, the reasoning that something bigger has more value honestly is a given problem nearly anywhere.) Again, thx for your detailed answer. As I said, I'm looking forward for what's to come, I like what I've seen of the game so far and with you allready adressing feedback I'm confident you'll get all concerns worked out.
Awesome meeting you guys at Expo! I had a lot of fun playing ninja eclipse. Thanks so much for taking the time to explain all the cabinet features!
Hey Ralph! Thanks so much for visiting with us. It was great to meet you! Hope to see you again soon!
Looking forward to seeing more. So far its very promising.
Looks fun! Hopefully an arcade version pops up somewhere near me.
Looks like a pretty cool game.
Thanks fir bringing the games to Expo.. enjoyed playing them..just had a couple jump off of the side ramp a couple of times . Thanks for the update
Terrific first effort. Please ignore all the Stern Army trolls on Pinside who respond to innovation with "Nobody asked for..." It never ceases to amaze me how these people root for every new pinball company to go out of business so Stern can ram their price increases even harder up their rears.
These are the same people responsible for 'cheapening' pinball and taking away or discouraging many innovations that I felt were very beneficial. These speed junkies are responsible for eliminating wide bodies ("slows the game down") so now we get less pinball for the same money, eliminating video modes (even though a simple menu change could eliminate them). Eliminating toys and gadgets ("Slows the game down by making the ball stop"). Torching the great idea of putting a video screen right by the flippers so you can actually see what's going on while playing. ("Too distracting, takes away from the art, besides I'm already used to looking at the back box"), etc...
My best advice would be to try and go the 'Spooky' route. Start with small runs and give great customer service, thereby building solid customer loyalty.
...and please... keep innovating... (shaking my head)... these same idiots, had they been around in 1947, would have told Harry Mabs at Gottlieb... "nobody asked for your stupid flipper thingies..."
Thanks so much for the encouraging comment. It is certainly appreciated.
I think the arcade edition should have your unique glass pop out too since it takes less space and a great design.
Thanks for the comment. We are getting a lot of requests for this and are working on making it happen. Please stay tuned.
Beautiful machine, not priced where I was hoping though, out of my price range, hope to see it somewhere near me in a commercial environment to experience it, good luck!
Hi Carlo, thanks for the message and kind words. All the best!
I think the shots look great. I like the music, and the screen is cool. The only criticism I have is the callouts could be a little more energetic.
Other than that, the game looks great.
One thing u missed is the side ramp desperately needs a rework. The stock flat metal plate doesnt work and kills the shot and the fun. You need a smoothly sculpted plastic entrance for that shot with the sharp curve and angle. Also the 2nd flipper button is way to low and hard to reach. It may be a gimmick but why alienate people that just hate that but like the machine. Change where its at AND by all means add an option in diagnostics to have all flippers controlled by one button. For 9 grand the customers need to be happy and have fun. That is fair and solid feedback. 😊
Hi Mike, thanks for the comment. We are aware that the sword ramp could be smoother. We were actually testing a new version of the ramp moments ago and the shot is much more repeatable. I'm sorry there wasn't enough time to get the new version on the playfield prior to the show.
Regarding the flipper buttons, I'm not sure if you noticed, but the two machines we had at the show were configured differently. One had a two-stage single button and the other had two independent buttons. We were testing to see what folks preferred and the single button was the clear winner. At a minimum, we would make it a menu option if we use the two buttons. We are also working on improving button placement.
Thanks again for your feedback. It was great to hear from you and others at the show so we can make this machine great.
@@TurnerPinball thanks for the follow up. This is good news.
This looks so much better then TPF. Even the original theme is not bad, I just don't understand why a game with no IP cost $9,777. When I first saw the pictures at expo I was hopeful this was a home unit for about 5 grand. Good luck going forward
Hi and thanks for your comment. The model we brought to TPF was an early flippable prototype and this is our pre-production model. My team and I have put in a lot of hard work to get here.
I think there are some misconceptions that folks have with the cabinet size due to other companies offering cheap low featured budget models with small cabinets. For our machine, the quality of the components (speaker system, lcd, playfield components, toys, etc) can only be found at a premium level and up. Our speakers are superior to that of the Stern Limited models. We have 5 detailed hand-painted playfield sculpts, the like of which can only be found on Stern Premium and above. Our playfield is absolutely loaded with mechs and cool shots. As I’m sure you know, Stern Premium models are around $9,700. Essentially, we have a full featured premium game in a slimmer cabinet. Our price reflects the features and also our cost to build. For those that aren’t ready for the slimline cabinet, we also offer the standard cabinet with a coin door.
I think there is also a misconception that unlicensed IP is less expensive than a licensed theme. All of our art and story was created from scratch. We don’t have any video clips to pull from or any existing characters to use. The art, video, and sound budgets for this machine were quite high because we wanted it to be great. You also have to consider that, as a small company, we won’t be dividing those costs over thousands of units.
I hope that helps you and others understand why the machine is priced the way it is. We believe the value is there and I hope that as we post more gameplay footage that you will agree too. Thanks again!
I like what you have there and would have liked more actual gameplay footage.
But I do have a major concern with the missing of the service buttons.
It's great you may setup the machine via app but this is a collector's market with many machines with manufacturers long gone. So the machine needs to be able to run self-sufficient.
I think I like the rest of the changes you made (especially for transport) but if you can build the machine cheaper with standard parts, I'd always take the standard, since you just don't need to open your game that often.
In addition it then will fit in anyones lineup and it's easier to get replacements for legs & stuff.
Regarding your payment app: On location It'd be nice to be able to select the credits I want to buy and just hold my card or watch to the machine, but I'd install no additional app for that. While that is just me, plz keep in mind that even if you would have a market share like Stern, whereever a machine will be on location there usually are other machines - like arcade machines, redemption games, air hockey etc.. I don't think a locked pinball payment app will work under these conditions (but of course I did not gather any data regarding that).
Second thing is that location play is no longer the majority of pinball sales, with a startup "boutique" pinball company propably selling even more into homes.
So in short, I really like what I see so far and applaud you for what you have acomplished in that last 6 months. But I'd still suggest to give (not the game, but the system you build around) the machine another whirl.
Looking forward to gameplay footage, the other cab design and hope to get to play the game at some point in the future here in europe.
Hi DSNadine, thanks so much for the encouraging words and for sharing your suggestions. We will be releasing more videos detailing the gameplay, features of the machines, and also the PinAccess app, in the coming weeks. Our focus was on getting the machines to Expo, and now I can spend more time on the informational things.
Regarding the maintenance of the machine, the PinAccess app is not required. The machine is fully configurable without the app by using the buttons on the cabinet. Our software for this is still in development so I wasn’t able to demo it at Expo, but we will have videos up soon. Configuration via the PinAccess app allows you to use a touchscreen, which I think most folks will prefer once they try it. I do fully understand that there needs to be a standard fallback option though.
I did learn a lot of things at Expo regarding the desire for a standard cabinet and coin door. We have heard those requests and I have already worked with my engineering team to come up with a solution that will allow us to deliver what is being requested. Please stay tuned for videos of that as well.
I appreciate your comments on the payment features of the PinAccess app. One unique thing that I mentioned in my talk at Expo is that we have a device that can be used to retrofit any existing arcade machine with a coin door that will make it compatible with PinAccess. PinAccess was also developed as an open platform that other manufacturers can integrate with. I am working on proving the system through some pilot arcades and will have more videos and demos on this coming soon as well.
I have a lot of work to do in sharing more information so that folks can see the full system and how everything works. As I work on that, I am grateful to you and others who have shared their feedback and some encouragement. Please stay tuned and I think you will like what you see. And if you have any other concerns, feedback, or suggestions, please reach out anytime. Thanks!
@@TurnerPinball Thx for your answer. Yes, of course touch control is a great plus, it's more comfortable and you don't need to buy any more external volume knobs/ accessories. Generally just make sure in communication that you're only adding value, and don't take other things away in return. - So as long as there is a fallback option in some way me personally am relieved and absolutely fine. (All the rest ist subject to taste, perception and of course budget.)
If you honestly want a suggestion (I worked a business development consultant in automotive, not that it means anything) it'd be this:
With the feedback on the machine you got, ask yourself what led up to things you have to adress now and how you can make sure to identify them beforehand next time. (While it is the intention to add value and give customers something they may not know yet they want, still get some pinhead amongst yourselfes or do some focus group testing, and you'd get to know about the percieved value problem of a "sizzle" cabinet in advance. - While only people longer in the hobby may have that connection, the reasoning that something bigger has more value honestly is a given problem nearly anywhere.)
Again, thx for your detailed answer. As I said, I'm looking forward for what's to come, I like what I've seen of the game so far and with you allready adressing feedback I'm confident you'll get all concerns worked out.